Japan

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The Japanese go about things differently. In this

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Standing amongst the delicately scented flower gardens of Kamakura, and soaking up the deep sense of history which seems to seep from every crevice of the numerous temples and shrines, it is almost impossible to believe that you are only a short hop from the bustling Tokyo metropolitan centre. A sense of peace and tranquillity […]

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Perched on the edge of Kyushu I closed my eyes, and apart form the salty tang to the air, could almost believe that I was back in Holland. It may come as some surprise that Holland and Japan have always had strong links since the first Dutch ships arrived nearly 400 years ago. Considering they […]

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Praise be !!! There is, after all, a god. Let joyful shouts ring round the Yamamote line, let thankful foreigners prostrate themselves at the powers that be – Diet Coke is now available in Japan. Of course, Diet Coke has always been available in Japan, just not in descent size cans. Some stores sold a […]

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It was cold, very cold. Small flurries of snow were whipping around me, my teeth began to chatter ominously. I was standing on a deserted street in Sapporo late one winter night. “Welcome to Sapporo, one of Japan’s most pleasant and lively cities!” exclaimed my frozen tourist information map. I had left a relatively warm […]

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It’s hot, damn hot. So hot in fact that it seems most of Tokyo has come to a standstill. I know it is now definitely summer as all the vending machines have been switched to cold. No longer can I get my morning can of steaming coffee from a vending machine and have to make […]